Masoli suspended for 2010 season

All this Oregon news today came with me at spring training trying to track down various Mariners’ goings-on —- including a big day for Matt Tuiasosopo, which will be the focus of my story for tomorrow.
But the latest is that QB Jeremiah Masoli has been suspended for the 2010 season and that RB LaMichael James will be suspended for the opener against New Mexico after pleading guilty today to burglary (Masoli) and misdemeanor harrasment (James).
Oregon coach Chip Kelly made the announcement of the punishments at a press conference at UO today. Here’s The Oregonian with details of the announcement, and here’s background on their offenses).
Kelly said Masoli has a redshirt year available and can use it if he chooses and return in 2011.
But this means that for next season, Oregon will be without a QB who would have been a Heisman Trophy candidate.
Oregon will likely head into the spring with sophomore Darron Thomas as the starting QB. He redshirted last year after seeing some time in 2008. Here’s his bio.
The news on Masoli obviously will deeply impact the Pac-10 race as Oregon would have been a heavy favorite heading into the 2010 season. Now, who knows? USC? Cal? Seems like it will be as wide open a Pac-10 race as we have seen since before USC’s run of dominance began in 2002 — a good time for UW to be returning to life.
For more background, here is an all-encompassing story from the Eugene Register-Guard on today’s events.
And The Oregonian conveniently rounded up all of the various Oregon Duck misdeeds during the Kelly era. As a sports writer with a limited ability in math, not sure I can count that high.